Tariq Ramadan's 'Quest for Meaning'

I was fully engaged with this book from the very first sentence – "This book is a journey and an initiation" – because an initiation is exactly what we need at this perilous moment in history. Like so many religious terms, the word initiation has lost much of its force in modern times. But in all the great spiritual traditions, initiation signified the creation, often painfully acquired, of a new self. Classical yoga, for example, was not an aerobic exercise but an initiation that consisted of a systematic dismantling of egotism. Those yogins who succeeded in extracting the "I" from their thinking found that, without the distorting filter of selfishness, they perceived the world quite differently.

Tariq Ramadan, Professor of Contemporary Islamic Studies at Oxford University and author of The Quest for Meaning, is convinced that we are all experiencing a profound loss of confidence. "Fear, doubt and distrust are imperceptibly colonising our hearts and minds. And so the other becomes our negative mirror, and the other's difference allows us to define ourselves, to 'identify' ourselves," he writes. Ramadan has experienced this personally. A powerful voice for reform in the Muslim world, he is routinely vilified in the west – often by liberals who decry the absence of any such "reformation" in Islam. The suspicion and insecurity that have come to dominate our politics frequently prevents us from seeing others clearly; the "other" becomes our shadow-self: a projection of everything that we believe that we are not – or fear subliminally that we are.

The "toleration" that was the watchword of the Enlightenment philosophers is not enough, Ramadan argues. Toleration literally means "to suffer" or "to endure" the presence of others and implies a relationship of domination; the powerful are requested "to moderate their strength and to limit their ability to do harm". But such grudging acceptance is detrimental to both the person who tolerates and the one whose presence is merely endured. What is required is respect, based on a relationship of equality. Tolerance can "reduce the other to a mere presence" but "respect opens up to us the complexity of his being".

It is always a temptation to imagine that my truth is the only truth. But, Ramadan insists that there are universally shared truths that are arrived at differently in many systems of thought, secular and religious. If our choice of our own truth is at all meaningful, we must experience other truths as truthful: if our own truth is forced upon us by its uniqueness, it would lose its meaning. This perception of diversity is crucial to Hinduism, Buddhism, and the more profound forms of monotheism. The Koran, for example, endorses pluralism: "Had God so willed, he would have made you one single community." (5.48).

This is a prophetic, passionate and insightful book. Ramadan's message is urgent: our very survival depends upon our ability to build a harmonious, respectful global community. We have now entered the realm of emotional politics dominated by instantaneous public reactions. In this age of global communications, we are possessed by tidal waves of global emotions that inspired the mindless violence in the Muslim world after the publication of the Danish cartoons and the tearful ritual gatherings after the death of Princess Diana. Voters are now less interested in ideas and convictions but are mobilised instead "by their fears, their need for security, reassurance, comfort and clearly defined points of reference and identities".

With populations kept in a constant state of alert, there is a mass feeling of victimisation, which erodes all sense of responsibility. Victims feel justified in blaming a "dangerous 'other' who is at once so far away, so close at hand and even among us that we no longer know who 'we' are". The threat of terror is so great that ignoring human rights has become acceptable, so that surveillance, the loss of the right to privacy, summary extraditions and "civilised" torture camps are beginning to be taken for granted.

The remedy, Ramadan is convinced, is to reshape ourselves at a profound level. Time and again, he returns to this theme. The initiations devised by the religious, philosophers and the arts enabled practitioners to transcend the narrow confines of self-regarding, fearful egotism, in which "we" become the measure of all things. We need to understand what drives us, analyse our emotional blocks, wounds and anxieties and master them. Instead of blaming the other, we need to develop the critical ability to stand back and speak out against the abuses of "our" side, taking back full responsibility for our actions. We have to reacquaint ourselves with history, realising that there is no such thing as a "pure" personal or civilisational identity and that we have all been shaped by diverse influences.

But this, as Ramadan acknowledges, will not be easy. These days we expect instant transformation, instant makeovers, and the change wrought by conventional initiation is slow, incremental and imperceptible. We have lost the habit of inwardness and of open-hearted listening, and confuse emotion with spirituality. Ramadan is an important voice and his message could not be more relevant. But many will feel baffled by his eloquent plea for an empathy that makes room for the other in their minds and hearts: they would rather be right.

Initiation involves far more than an intellectual acceptance of a position; it has to reach a level deeper than the cerebral, so that we lay aside habitual modes of thought, abandon self-serving certainties, and realise how little we know about one another. If we cannot work assiduously to cultivate a profound sense of the unique sacredness of every single human being, we will enter a moral void. To begin their personal initiation, perhaps, readers should meditate on some of Ramadan's words and make them their own. They would do well to start with his dedication of the book: "To the semi-colon", which "in a world of simplified communications and simplistic binary judgments ... reconciles us with the plurality of propositions, and with the welcome nuances of the sentence and of complex realities."

I have no idea how Maxis got its telco licence to operate 3G. What I am paying for using Maxis 3G now is no where close to what I was getting using Digi Edge. I feel so silly getting drawn into switching to Maxis all because I wanted to get an iPhone. Such a mistake.

Now I am reliving my misery all over again. My iPhone crashed today, or rather yesterday. It wouldn't switch on at all. I went to the Maxis shop in telawi bangsar where I bought the iPhone and was told that it would take 3 weeks for the phone to be sent to Maxis for repair. And I am well within the warranty period. After much persuasion I was told Maxis will resolve the problem within 1 week. I have no idea who is looking out for my interest in this day of consumerism but i feel conned. 7 years or more ago when I had a Treo 600 and it crashed, this small retailer in klcc that I bought the phone from agreed to meet me and immediately gave me a new replacement unit immediately. Have we regressed? Have consumer rights been short changed? Or is it just a matter of which multinational is more honourable. Are we again left to the mercy of big corporations. I can't help but feel Apple and/or Maxis has reneged on the contract to deliver a product without any inherent defect. I have paid the entire sum for the unit. And I am now told to wait 1 week while this big corporation figure out what is wrong with my phone unit.

regarding the anti ISA protest (or supposedly to be) where 4 people were arrested, i was mentioning about a group of people linked to umno instigating people. see for yourself, watch this video taken by my CJ mate, jimmy leow. see how noisy they were, see how they behaved like samseng? (thugs) and yet none of them were arrested! after watching the video, i remember now one of them was shouting "balik tiong san!" (go back to china!). and he get away with it. and they all get away with it… because they have umno backing. that's najib's 1malaysia for you.

i remember reading in one of the report in malaysiakini, someone was arrested for wearing the anti isa t-shirt and badge. gee… is that so? when i wanted to go to the vigil that sunday night i had wanted to wear the red and white anti isa t-shirt too but couldn't find it, so i wore my SABM t-shirt instead but i had the big red anti isa badge on the t-shirt. then i also pin the small black anti isa badge on my backpack! and i was walking around past policemen here and there. guess the police at that time were not interested in badges! or they think i'm a harmless old lady – so let this old lady alone with her 2 badges. haha.

The highly tense atmosphere of last night's aborted anti-ISA vigil at the Penang Speaker's Square saw at least two peripheral incidents by provocateurs, which fortunately stopped short of escalating.

In the first incident, well-known local activist Ong Boon Keong claimed he was bullied by a group of young men (right) who wanted to "impose their ways (on him) through brute force" while he was waiting to participate in the vigil.

Ong said he arrived at the event about half an hour before the scheduled vigil at 9pm, but noticed that a large group of police had cordoned off the entrance to the Esplanade, a popular tourist spot.

He claimed he witnessed a group of "fierce looking and foul-mouthed people" in their 30s or 40s marching towards the scattered crowd at the field.

"They didn't look like the anti-ISA civil society type. I could not resist taking a photo of them (below). That (drew their attention) in my direction," he said.

"I sat down on a part of the concrete fencing at the edge of the field, pretending to adjust my camera. Some members of the group spoke in Bahasa Malaysia and instigated one another to do something about me," he added.

"Then one of them emboldened himself and came to sit next to me. He pretended to speak on his handphone but moved his elbow until it touched my face and muttered 'Mau cari pasal? Mau cari pasal?' (Are you looking for a fight?)."

Ong believes the man was trying to pick a fight with him, instigated by a few others from the "fierce-looking" group.

When Ong slowly moved away from the man, avoiding eye contact with him, the latter "declared his victory" by laughing with his friends and threatened further to pull Ong's beard.

Ong, who is currently involved in an election watchdog group and conducts new voter registration exercises in rural Sarawak, questioned why none of the group, who then pushed their way into the peaceful anti-ISA crowd, had been apprehended by the police.

Special rights for thugs?

"Why did the police act against peaceful citizens but allow those who openly and blatantly instigate violence to go free?" asked Ong.

"Didn't the police understand Bahasa Malaysia (and understand the groups' taunts)? Or had they been given a different set of instructions when it comes to upholding law and order on this special class of people?" he quipped.

In another incident, a similar group had reportedly tried to cause trouble with the anti-ISA protestors before the police dispersed the 100-odd crowd waiting for the vigil to begin.

The group, who claimed to be pro-ISA supporters, was identified by several participants to be linked to Umno.

But Georgetown district police chief Gan Kong Meng, who admitted knowledge of the presence of the troublemakers, said they were not arrested as they had complied with orders and did not put up a fight when the police told them to disperse.

They have been released under police bail after giving their statements at the Jelutong police station, and are to report back on Aug 14.

Whither the YBs?

Meanwhile, Gerakan member Dalbinder Singh questioned why several local politicians did not take the lead in the anti-ISA protest.

Dalbinder, a law student who frequents the Speakers Square on a weekly basis, said he had approached the YBs after the arrests, to ask them why they were allegedly not present earlier when the vigil was about to start.

Three activists and a lawyer arrested last night for protesting against the Internal Security Act have levelled a charge of 'double standards' against the Penang police. They want to know why the police did not act against a group of 'troublemakers' – who are allegedly linked to Umno – at the Penang Speaker's Square last night.

PSM central committee member Choo Chon Kai, speaking to reporters outside the Jelutong police station about 12.30am today after his release, said the group – which claimed to be 'pro-ISA supporters' (right) – had been "very rough" and had tried to incite the crowd to violence.

Instead of acting against them, said Choo, the police arrested him and fellow-protestors.

"This is the real face of the people who support the ISA. They have a very fascist face; this is their real colour. It shows their mentality, that they are still trapped in the colonial past," he said.

"Unfortunately, the police have also acted in the same manner as they cracked down on activists in Kuala Lumpur and Penang."

The quartet was arrested last night after failing to comply with a police order to disperse within five minutes, issued at 8.50pm by Georgetown district police chief Gan Kong Meng. He warned the protestors that they would be arrested if they did not comply.

However, about 10 individuals, claiming to be members of a pro-ISA group, were let off. Just before the rally was due to start, they shouted the '1Malaysia' slogan – 'People First, Performance Now' – and told the activists not to disturb the public.

At one point, while the activists were negotiating with the authorities about their intention to rally, the group was seen pushing Choo towards the police, causing a commotion.

Kris Khaira (left), an activist, said it was obvious what the ISA stands for – to arrest those with whose views the government does not agree.

"For example, during the incident at the Speaker's Square, there were more people in the group of ISA supporters but they were allowed to be provocative," he claimed.

"They were there to instigate a fight, to turn the situation into violence. Although they were louder than us and had arrived earlier, why were they not arrested? Why arrest only us?"

His father, lawyer Darshan Singh Khaira, who was also arrested last night, expressed surprise over police action.

"In the last few years, they had allowed activities like this. The police used to give us 40 minutes and then tell us to disperse. I do not know why they (have acted) like this (now)," he said.

'Police have my shirt'

Suaram coordinator Ong Jing Cheng, who had been dragged off by the police and pushed into a truck as he was speaking to reporters, complained that he had been stripped of his black shirt with the anti-ISA logo while giving his statement at the police station.

"My shirt is now with the police for investigation," quipped Ong (in truck), when released together with Choo.

He condemned Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak's 1Malaysia slogan, questioning its sincerity when people are arrested for protesting against an archaic law.

"We want to repeal the law, not just amend it, which is why we had planned to rally to express our views," he said.

Pantai Jerejak PKR assemblyperson Sim Tze Tsin, who was at the police station when the activists were released, condemned the 'high-handed' approach of the police and said it was an indication of BN's fear.

"The police may have arrested four people tonight, but there are thousands out there who condemn the ISA. We hope after tonight, there will be another wave of people's power to protest the ISA," he said.

Gan said the police had taken action after receiving information about potential trouble and agitation by certain groups.

He justified the arrests under the Police Act and Section 143 of the Penal Code, which allows the police to act against those deemed to be part of an 'illegal assembly'.

Asked why the police had not arrest the pro-ISA group, Gan replied that they had complied with the order to disperse.

Those arrested have been released on police bail after their statements were recorded. They will have to report to the Jelutong station on Aug 14.

Opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim's sodomy trial resumed today with the expected cross-examination of Kuala Lumpur Hospital's Dr Mohd Razali Ibrahim but defence lawyers immediately zoomed in on the alleged affair between the star witness and one of the prosecutors.

Head of the prosecution team, Solicitor-general II Mohd Yusof Zainal Abiden, had in a letter of reply to the defence team, said that the prosecution cannot verify of the alleged "affair" and that Farah Azlina's role was limited to taking notes of the proceedings.

Given Yusof's non-committal answers in the letter of reply, lawyer Sankara Nair for Anwar said the defence team would assume the allegations to be true given.

Have you watched the video called 1Malaysia which you can access HERE at YouTube or HERE at Malaysia Today. After watching it, your heart will be downcast and you might feel anger. Don't get angry. Why? During such challenging times that we face in Malaysia, any spiral of anger would lead to disaster.

The recent police blitz against activists over the weekend has sparked a flurry of conspiracy theories, with a PR senator warning that it could lead to another round of Ops Lalang.

Muhamad Yusof Husin, a first-term senator from PAS, claimed that the trend stinks of old tactics employed by the BN in 1987, when the authorities clamped down on anti-government sentiments by detaining 106 people under the Internal Security Act (ISA).

He admitted that it remains a big "maybe", but stressed that it is a worrying prospect that should not be put past the ruling government.

Muhamad Yusof noted that the way the incidents have played out over the weekend, it is not too far-fetched to assume that the authorities may try to portray a "tense situation in the country".

"When peaceful activities are not allowed, it would spark protests and possibly the authorities may use this opportunity to use the ISA, with the excuse to restore order," he said at a press conference at the Senate lounge today.

Just like Ops Lalang in 1987 (left), where all opposition leaders and NGOs staff not supportive of the government were detained under the ISA ... that is a possibility. Then they (BN) will hold elections and the BN leaders can contest comfortably because there would be no opposition."

It is time for Pakatan Rakyat to seriously get ready for the next elections which should be very soon.

Look at the political landscape. Never before has there been such a continuous pattern of statements from politicians that could anger the rakyat. I.A. has almost become a trademark. The DPM plays his role as the quintessential Mr. Contrary very well and even today, made some 'interesting' statements. Hishamuddin expressed his regret over the 'Allah" issue and the next thing we read is Minister for Islamic Affairs Senator Datuk Seri Jamil Khir Baharom's adamant stand that the government should not rescind the ban on non-Muslims from using the word "Allah". Tony Pua says something and the next thing is he is warned not to play with fire. One minute TDM supports Nahib wrt FDI and the next day he questions him on the 1Malaysia. Golly! There is so much baiting going on and one wonders when it will all end! What is the purpose of all this time wasting frivolous pursuits???

I surmise that there seems to be a trend of deliberate attempts to provoke people to anger. We cannot and must not fall prey to their malevolent scheme to further their agenda.

There is no time to get angry or distracted or feel unhappiness, dissent or anger. Any burgeoning spiral of anger would lead to a weakening of defenses because anger cripples anyone. Patience, perseverance and pragmatic planning would pave the way for Pakatan to sweep to victory.

Most unfortunately, many are still VERY immature in their dealings with comrades. For instance, we see so many unhealthy spats in PR component parties - the latest being the Twitter update and Teng Chang Kim's response to leaders. Then we had the Khalid-Azmin competition which I need not elaborate.

PR leaders really need to grow up and consolidate their position. As always, they need to stop washing dirty linen in public and be on the offensive on the COMMON ENEMY instead of on their comrades. Pakatan Rakyat MPs and ADUNs had better get their act together and leave no room for any guided missile attack.

At the same time, the rakyat need to mobilize as many as possible to register as a voter. Our greeting to one another should be "Have you registered as a voter? Have you helped anyone to register as a voter" instead of "Hi! Have you had your dinner yet?"

I know there is a lot of anger in the air. We have to keep our cool.

Instead of the spiral of anger, we need to have a spiral of silence and NOT let the other side know what's up. They are throwing a lot of red herrings and it appears to me that the scheme of things is running very well with someone orchestrating from behind the curtains, if you get my drift.

It is time to go into training and to exercise restraint, caution and maximum wisdom. Get ready for what lies ahead....

I wonder how many households in the country have actually been visited by enumerators (census takers) during this latest Population and Housing Census that is being carried out by the Department of Statistics. The census exercise, which started on 6 July, is scheduled to end on 22 Aug. That means that there are only 20 days left.

Unfortunately right until today, nobody has come to my house. My aunt who is home most of the time drew a blank stare when I asked her a few minutes ago. Me? I haven't seen anyone either AND I'm usually home too. Besides, I'm told that if any household could not be contacted, the enumerator would leave the census form in the letter box and come back later to collect it. Well, there's nothing in my letter box except for letters and the advertisement flyers.

And I'm also very incensed that the president of Hua Zong had taken the apologetic line and agreed with the Statistics Department that the Chinese community was cool to the census. What's more, he had the nerve to urge the Chinese to give their full cooperation to the enumerators. Big bullshit, again!

Just speak for yourself, Mr Hua Zong president. You don't have to apologise on my behalf. And whoever is in charge of the census exercise at the Department of Statistics, please tell your people - I need just one of them - to come see me this week and I will answer all their questions personally, willingly and gladly! Just come. Don't make excuses. Okay?

We were at the Sikh Gurdwara yesterday as part of the Penang Heritage Trust monthly site visits. I often look forward to these events as we get an insider's view of the historical building or place.

Sikh Gurdwara with flag pole denoting to travellers a place to stay for the night

I am sure you've passed by this place of worship if you drive along Jalan Gurdwara going to GAMA or the Four Leaves Bakery. Most likely you would have thought it was a Sikh temple. It is but it is also more than that. And what with it being built in 1903, this building has seen more than 100 years of development in Penang!

Like everyone else, we were deeply curious about the Gurdwara. What is inside this place? What do the Sikhs do here besides pray? And we could finally get our myths righted then and there by asking the turbanned leaders.

Look closely at the mural...

I mean, have you ever wondered about the Sikhs? They are probably the most misunderstood people here in Malaysia. Everyone thinks Punjabis are Sikhs (the term is usually used interchangeably – I cannot think how annoyed the Sikhs are!). This is a misconception as Punjab is a state and in this state, the Punjabis could be of any religion – not necessarily Sikhism! Or the perennial favourite – Bengali as a term for the Sikhs. Again, it is misconstrued.

The Gurdwara is not only a place of worship but also a community centre for the Sikhs. It is a place for travellers (in those days of ship travel) to rest and have some clean accommodation before they moved on elsewhere. The accommodation is basic – the netting bed or charpoy doubled up as an easy bed without the need for mattress. (That is quite innovative because there won't be any bedsheets to lug about!).

Pakoras served in stainless steel bowls

Everyone, regardless of their faith, could come into the Gurdwara for a free vegetarian meal. Their communal kitchen is fairly large. We were told not to miss the special milk tea and pakoras the Sikh ladies had prepared for us at the end of our visit. It was true. The milk tea was smooth and delicious (better than Hong Kong milk tea!) without being too sweet while the deep-fried vegetable fritters were simple and homely fare.

How do I look with a shawl over my head?

The first floor of the Gurdwara housed their prayer hall. To enter, we had to cover our heads with scarves. While we women looked rather sweet and demure, men with scarves just looked quite Taliban! We were told that the Sikhs would read from their Holy Book and in this hall, prayers would be recited every day.

The kind and humble people who prepared our tea

We were also given booklets explaining about the Sikh religion and what their core beliefs are. Although I had friends who were Sikhs when I was in school, it never occurred to me to probe more. Now I know better of course.

Inside the prayer hall

If we could all visit each other's place of worship and have the religion explained to us, we could all understand more. Understanding each other and appreciating each other's uniqueness will alleviate fear. It is only fear which creates misunderstandings about religion.

Just the other night, I was speaking to Fabian and feeling really lucky that I have access to his Catholic mind and all the theology he's learnt. Again, I may have Catholic friends but I sure did not dare ask too many questions back then. It is only with friends who are open enough does one dare approach the subject of religion. It's all very curiously interesting!

Listening to the statements and political rhetoric from both sides of the divide, I am reminded of the following story. Words are cheap and one can state or deny or proclaim whatever they feel. At the end of the day, it is the heart that counts and how one stands before his/her maker. Do leave a comment to share your thoughts or views. The next sopo post will be up at about 8.30p.m. Take care and enjoy your dinner! Cheers!

One day a young man was standing in the middle of the town proclaiming that he had the most beautiful heart in the whole valley.

A large crowd gathered and they all admired his heart for it was perfect. There was not a mark or a flaw in it. Yes, they all agreed it truly was the most beautiful heart they had ever seen. The young man was very proud and boasted more loudly about his beautiful heart.

Suddenly, an old man appeared at the front of the crowd and said, "Why your heart is not nearly as beautiful as mine." The crowd and the young man looked at the old man's heart. It was beating strongly, but full of scars, it had places where pieces had been removed and other pieces put in, but they didn't fit quite right and there were several jagged edges. In fact, in some places there were deep gouges where whole pieces were missing.

The people stared ? "How can he say his heart is more beautiful?" they thought.

The young man looked at the old man's heart and saw its state and laughed. "You must be joking," he said. "Compare your heart with mine, mine is perfect and yours is a mess of scars and tears."

"Yes," said the old man, "Yours is perfect looking but I would never trade with you. You see, every scar represents a person to whom have given my love - I tear out a piece of my heart and give it to them, and often they give me a piece of their heart which fits into the empty place in my heart, but because the pieces aren't exact, I have some rough edges, which I cherish, because they remind me of the love we shared."

"Sometimes I have given pieces of my heart away, and the other person hasn't returned a piece of his heart to me. These are the empty gouges - giving love is taking a chance. Although these gouges are painful, they stay open, reminding me of the love I have for these people too, and I hope someday they may return and fill the space I have waiting. So now do you see what true beauty is?"

The young man stood silently with tears running down his cheeks.

He walked up to the old man, reached into his perfect young and beautiful heart, and ripped a piece out. He offered it to the old man with trembling hands. The old man took his offering, placed it in his heart and then took a piece from his old scarred heart and placed it in the wound in the young man's heart. It fit, but not perfectly, as there were some jagged edges.

The young man looked at his heart, not perfect anymore but more beautiful than ever, since love from the old man's heart flowed into his.

A lie is a type of deception in the form of an untruthful statement, especially with the intention to deceive others. It could have been told for various purposes such as to maintain a secret or reputation or to protect someone's feelings or to avoid a punishment or repercussion for one's actions.

I came across this report in NST where Umno deputy president Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin advised party leaders yesterday to respond to issues and accusations raised by opposition parties quickly and confidently. He said failure to defend the government's policies and decisions would make the party and its leaders look weak.

"They (opposition parties) have twisted issues. Some of these accusations are lies and done rampantly. If Umno does not take an aggressive step in handling these issues, we will be seen as weak."

Twisted issues? Lies?

What is more interesting is his response!!! He advocated an aggressive step in handling these issues. Wow!!

The rationale given is classic - not to be seen as weak!!I wonder if the statement was a Freudian slip.Does our DPM perceive that UMNO is seen as weak?

Why do we defend ourselves from accusations? Simple. To protect our INTEGRITY!!

The best way to defend ourselves is to tell the truth!

Here is a list of ten notorious political lies told in the world which I sourced fromTHIS WEBSITE. I am sure many readers can come up with TEN AWARD WINNING LIES ala Malaysian style ;-)._____________________

TEN NOTORIOUS POLITICAL LIES TOLD TO THE WORLD

When we look back on the political landscape, we find notorious political lies that changed the course of a country at certain points in time. The lies that were told reveal an ominous fact. Politicians created the lies that made them infamous.

1. Umbrella Murder

Georgi Markov, a talented young Bulgarian writer, defected in 1969 and sought asylum in England. He was labeled a traitor by the Communist regime of Bulgaria. He was murdered in 1978 by a man wielding an umbrella. The assassination became know as the "Umbrella Murder".

2. Moscow Bans Polish Meat

Russia engaged in a game of political football with the Polish government in 2006. The crisis centered around the ban on imported meat from Poland. Moscow claimed the meat was not properly certified. Russia warned members of the European Union that Poland was not abiding by certified practices. It was all politics and lies.

3. First Lady Hillary Clinton: Role ModelHillary Clinton was First Lady of the United States. The world expected her to be a spokesperson for women around the world. She could not live up to the expectations because she had to respond to charges that her husband was cheating on her. Instead, she reacted as an exploited woman. The women of the world expected some professionalism from her during this time. She deceived the entire sorority of women.

4. The US Presidential Campaign of 1990

The political campaign was full of charges and counter charges related to lies and dishonesty. Clinton charged Bush with lying and said that he looked like Pinocchio. Statements were made that Bush was trying to clinch the election with intentional lies. Bush's press secretary replied that Clinton was playing politics and made remarks about Clinton's disregard for honesty. Al Gore compared the Bush campaign to a "big lie" technique.

5. George Bush - Like Father, Like Son

A skill for telling lies is shared equally by the senior and junior Bush. The junior told the famous lie in 2003 when he said that, "We have discovered weapons of mass destruction in Iraq." The US Army made advances in the Middle East and found nothing. In 1988, the senior Bush made the now infamous statement, "Read my lips. No new taxes."

6. Joseph Stalin

In 1941, Germany broke the non aggression pact that it had signed with Russia. Russia then entered the war on the side of the Allies. In meeting with other Allied members, Stalin promised not to interfere in the affairs of other nations. He was lying. He installed communist governments in most of the countries in Eastern Europe. These countries fell behind what became known as the "Iron Curtain".

7. Bill Clinton

Bill Clinton, the 42nd President, told a lie under oath regarding his alleged connection with Monica Lewinsky. He was the second president in US history to be impeached by the House of Representatives. He was accused of a sexual indiscretion, to which Clinton had replied, "I did not have sexual relations with that woman."

8. Richard Nixon

Richard Nixon, the 37th president of the United States, lied about his efforts to cover up his misdeeds regarding the Watergate scandal. The truth was disclosed and he ultimately had to resign to avoid impeachment.

9. Jimmy CarterAnother US president, Jimmy Carter, was holding a press conference in 1980, in which he stated he would not use military action to free the hostages being held in the US Embassy in Tehran, Iran. The truth was that a military option was being planned at that very time. We should remember the words of Sir Winston Churchill, who noted that in wartime the truth must be preserved with a bodyguard of lies.

10. Neville ChamberlainIn 1938, British Prime Chamberlain met with German Chancellor Hitler to find a diplomatic way to avoid war. Adolf Hitler assured Chamberlain that war could be avoided if Czechoslovakia would agree to redraw its border. Chamberlain agreed and announced to the British Parliament that Hitler, "Means what he says." Hitler took the opposite action. It is one of humanity's most shocking lies._______________

Please leave a comment to share your thoughts and views. Thanks! Have a nice day!

About two weeks ago, he suggested for the formation of a 'Malay unity party' comprising of a 'dissolved Pas and Umno'. And yesterday, he talked about the future of Malaysian politics, a racial-based politics (read here). Who is talking here?

None other than Ibrahim Ali, the president of Perkasa, a 100 per cent Malay 'non-political' organisation already branded by the non-Malays as racist. It has led to the Chinese, Indians and other races to establish their own 'racial groupings', with the blessing of Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin.

Now, some leaders in Umno and Pas are already taking the 'Malay' unity party as a serious matter. Many lauded Ibrahim's idea as brilliant and would pave the way for a Malay Greater Politics. Should it materialises, there would only be one Malay party, no more Umno and no more Pas.

On a first thought, many would support him but on second, it triggers uneasiness among others. Some comments in my previous posting suggested that such a preposition would lead to a thicker race-based ideology in Malaysia. It would not only lead to racial segmentation of the community but most alarming is a 'Lu Gua' Malaysians.

The Chinese would also want a Chinese unity party too, comprising of MCA, Gerakan and DAP. Of course DAP would second such an idea should a Malay-unity party is formed within the dissolvement of Umno and Pas.

So would the Indians, uniting MIC, PPP and other Indian-majority parties.

What would become of Malaysia? We will have three major race-based parties competing among each other in the next general elections. Should the Malay unity party wins, a Malay will be the Prime Minister and should the Chinese unity party wins, a Chinese will have the Number 1 seat.

No, I personally dont think Barisan Nasional would be relevant anymore and no way for the three race-based parties to unite as their objectives would be centered on only one issue - fight for your own race. Having the ex-leaders of Pas and DAP in such an idea will not augur well for another BN-like integration party.

What about those indigenous in Sabah and Sarawak?

Well, Ibrahim's idea of a Malay unity party is good to some but is also a threat to national unity, for some. While Umno and Pas are considering his idea, I dont think it is practical in multi-racial and multi-religious Malaysia. Let's remain our status quo for the time being.

After all, when we suggest something for a race unity, we should remain focus before making another statement that race-based politicis will remain as the bedrock for the future of Malaysian politics.